Eco smart panels for energy savings

ABSTRACT

An eco-smart panel is described comprising a solar thermal panel, a phase change material, a metal foil layer, and a structural frame constructed of materials including wood studs, gypsum, or fiberglass-reinforced concrete. The materials may be variously configured to create modular systems for fabricating buildings or structures. Eco-smart panels may be utilized to create buildings or structure with enhanced energy efficiency, increased fire resistance, increased flood resistance, and decreased construction cost and time.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation application of U.S. Utilityapplication Ser. No. 16/276,043, filed on Feb. 14, 2019, whichapplication claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/630,626, filed Feb. 14, 2018 which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Homes and commercial buildings have traditionally been built with stickframes for centuries. Heating and cooling of homes and commercialbuildings may be heavily dependent on non-renewable energy generatedfrom fossil fuels. The consumption of such energy can add up to over 20%of the total pollutants emitted in to the environment.

Measures are currently being taken to reduce the amount of pollutantsemitted in to the environment. For example, to conserve non-renewableenergy and reduce the generation of greenhouse gases, the state ofCalifornia has set goals that all new residential buildings may be zeronet energy (ZNE) by 2020 and new commercial buildings may be ZNE by2030. In some cases, a ZNE building may be defined as a building thatproduces as much energy (generally through onsite renewable energy) asthe building itself consumes.

SUMMARY

An eco-smart panel for meeting the goals of ZNE for residential andcommercial buildings is disclosed herein. The eco smart panel can helpto conserve energy and reduce energy wastage in residential andcommercial buildings. Further, the eco smart panel may be capable ofcollecting and/or utilizing renewable energy (such as solar energy) tofurther reduce non-renewable energy consumption, and thereby reduceenvironmental pollution. The eco smart panel may reduce the cost offabrication for buildings and structures while increasing the resistanceof a structure to flooding and fire.

In some cases, an energy efficient eco smart panel may include layeredmaterials that form at least part of a wall of a building. In somecases, an eco smart panel can be used to retrofit existing buildings.When powered with solar renewal energy, eco smart panels may be used toachieve ZNE, and provide heating and cooling to the building without theuse of fossil fuels. In some cases, an eco smart panel may also providereduction/improvement in the electromagnetic field shielding. Forexample, the use of thermal radiant heating and cooling metal may shieldspecific areas of a building to be safe and leak proof. Further, the ecosmart panel may allow the wall to be protected from moisture with avapor barrier layer of the panel. Such panel with multiple layers can besecured with an oriented strand board (OSB) to support and hold thecomponents. The layers and elements of the panel may be attachedtogether so that the panel can be mounted to the studs or otherstructural materials easily and efficiently, for example, with a snap-onclamp for saving installation time and keeping the units in place andair tight for NZE buildings. To reduce energy loss from the panel duringthe heating and cooling process, a phase change material (PCM) may beincorporated in to the panel. In some cases, eco smart panels may reduceup to 80% or more of energy consumption compared to conventionalbuilding panels. In some cases, the eco smart panel addresses multipleneeds of the preferred passive house building methodology. In somecases, disclosed herein is a panel comprising: a drywall layer; a metalfoil adjacent to the drywall layer; a stud, gypsum, orfiberglass-reinforced concrete frame adjacent to the metal foil, whereinthe frame is affixed to the drywall layer and/or the metal foil, andwherein the frame comprises one or more openings; one or more solarthermal panels positioned at least partly within the one or moreopenings of the frame; one or more enclosures adjacent to the one ormore thermal panels, wherein the one or more enclosures are configuredto hold a phase change material therein, wherein the one or moreenclosures are at least partly located within the one or more openings;a foam layer adjacent and attached to at least one of the frame or moreenclosures; an electromagnetic shielding layer; an oriented strand boardlayer adjacent to the electromagnetic shielding layer; a barrier layerattached to the oriented strand board layer, wherein the barrier layeris substantially impermeable to one or more of air, vapor, moisture, orwater.

In some cases, the panel herein further comprises one or more sensorsconfigured to collect environmental data surrounding the panel. In somecases, the one or more sensors are remotely controlled by a user device.In some cases, the panel further comprises a controller that controlsthe one or more solar thermal panels or the one or more sensors based onthe environmental data. In some cases, the one or more sensors compriseInternet-of-Things sensors. In some cases, the one or more sensors arelocated on or within the drywall layer. In some cases, the one or moresensors comprises one or more of a temperature sensor, a humiditysensor, an air flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor,a carbon dioxide sensor, an acoustic sensor, or a vibration sensor. Insome cases, the drywall layer comprises a gypsum board. In some cases,the one or more enclosures comprise a thermal conductive material. Insome cases, the one or more enclosures comprise Aluminum. In some cases,the foam layer is configured to mechanically support the enclosuresand/or the solar thermal panels. In some cases, the dry wall layer isabout 0.5 inch thick. In some cases, the stud frame comprises athickness in a range of about 1 inch to about 5 inches. In some cases,the Aluminum foil is attached to at least one of the drywall layer, thestud frame, or the solar thermal panel. In some cases, the one or moresolar thermal panels is at least partly attached to one or more of thestud frame or the metal foil. In some cases, the one or more enclosuresis at least partly attached to one or more of the solar thermal panelsor the stud frame. In some cases, the foam layer is at least partlyattached to one or more of the enclosures or the structural frame. Insome cases, the foam layer is substantially rigid. An aspect of thepresent disclosure is directed to a fabricated panel. The fabricatedpanel may comprise: a) one or more solar thermal panels, b) a phasechange material, c) a metal foil layer, and d) a structural material.The one or more solar thermal panels may be connected to the structuralmaterial, and the phase change material and metal foil layer may be incontact with the one or more thermal panels. The incorporation of one ormore of the fabricated panels into a structure may allow the thermalenergy consumption of the structure to be reduced by at least about 10%compared to a structure that does not incorporate these panels.

In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may further comprise one ormore materials selected from the group consisting of: a) drywall, b)insulating material, c) vapor barrier material, d) oriented strandboard, and e) electromagnetic shielding material.

In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may further comprise one ormore sensors configured to collect environmental data surrounding thefabricated panel. In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may compriseone or more sensors that are remotely controlled by a user device. Insome embodiments, the fabricated panel further comprises a controllerthat controls the one or more solar thermal panels or the one or moresensors based on the environmental data. In some embodiments, thefabricated panel may comprise one or more sensors that compriseInternet-of-Things sensors. In some embodiments, the fabricated panelmay comprise one or more sensors that are located on or within thedrywall layer. In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may compriseone or more sensors selected from the group consisting of a temperaturesensor, a humidity sensor, an air flow sensor, a pressure sensor, acarbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, an acoustic sensor, anda vibration sensor.

In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may comprise one or more solarthermal panels that are oriented toward an exterior surface of thestructure. In some embodiments, the fabricated panels may comprise oneor more solar thermal panels that are oriented toward an interiorsurface of the structure. In some embodiments, the fabricated panel maycomprise an exterior wall of the structure. In some embodiments, thefabricated panel may comprise an interior wall of the structure. In someembodiments, the fabricated panel may comprise a ceiling of thestructure.

In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may comprise a structuralmaterial that comprises one or more wood studs. In some embodiments, thefabricated panel may comprise one or more wood studs that are of anominal size selected from the group consisting of: 1×2, 1×3, 1×4, 1×6,1×8, 1×10, 1×12, 2×2, 2×3, 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, 2×10, 2×12, 4×4, 4×6, and 4×8.In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may comprise a structuralmaterial that comprises concrete. In some embodiments the fabricatedpanel may comprise concrete that contains a weight-reducing component.In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may comprise a weight-reducingcomponent that comprises fiberglass.

In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may comprise an insulatingmaterial that comprises rigid polystyrene foam. In some embodiments, thefabricated panel may comprise an insulating material that comprisesfiberglass. In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may have aninsulating R-value of at least about 10. In some embodiments, thefabricated panel may have an insulating R-value of at least about 20.

In some embodiments, the incorporation of the one or more panels intothe structure reduces the thermal energy consumption of the structure byat least about 20%. In some embodiments, the incorporation of the one ormore panels into the structure reduces the total energy consumption ofthe structure by at least about 10%.

In some embodiments, the fabricated panel further comprises a voidspace. In some embodiments, the fabricated panel may comprise a voidspace that comprises a plumbing component, an electrical component, or atelecommunications component.

In some embodiments, a structure may comprise one or more fabricatedpanels, where the fabricated panels comprise: a) one or more solarthermal panels, b) a phase change material, c) a metal foil layer, andd) a structural material, where the one or more solar thermal panels areconnected to the structural material, and the phase change material andmetal foil layer are in contact with the one or more thermal panels andwhere the incorporation of the one or more fabricated panels into thestructure reduces the thermal energy consumption of the structure by atleast about 10%.

In some embodiments, the structure may comprise one or more fabricatedpanels that have an insulating R-value of at least about 10. In someembodiments, the structure may comprise one or more fabricated panelsthat have an insulating R-value of at least about 20.

In some embodiments, the structure may comprise one or more fabricatedpanels that reduce the thermal energy consumption by at least about 20%.In some embodiments, a space in the structure may experience a passiveinterior temperature differential of no greater than about 20° C.

In some embodiments, the structure may comprise one or more fabricatedpanels that may further comprise at least one material selected from thegroup consisting of: a) drywall, b) insulating material, c) vaporbarrier material, d) oriented strand board, and e) electromagneticshielding material.

In some embodiments, the structure may further comprise one or moresensors configured to collect environmental data surrounding the one ormore fabricated panels. In some embodiments, the structure of maycomprise one or more sensors that are remotely controlled by a userdevice. In some embodiments, the structure further comprises acontroller that controls the one or more solar thermal panels or the oneor more sensors based on the environmental data. In some embodiments,the structure may comprise one or more sensors that compriseInternet-of-Things sensors. In some embodiments, the structure maycomprise one or more sensors that are located on or within the drywalllayer. In some embodiments, the structure may comprise one or moresensors selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, ahumidity sensor, an air flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a carbonmonoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, an acoustic sensor, and avibration sensor.

In some embodiments, the structure may comprise one or more fabricatedpanels that are pre-fabricated. In some embodiments, the structure maycomprise one or more fabricated panels that are assembled in a modularfashion. In some embodiments, the structure is assembled in no greaterthan about 1 month. In some embodiments, the structure is assembled inno greater than about 2 weeks.

In some embodiments, a method of constructing a pre-fabricated panel maycomprise providing a structural material with at least one void spaceand coupling one or more outer layers to the structural material. Insome embodiments, a method of constructing a fabricated panel maycomprise inserting a solar thermal panel into the at least one voidspace and coupling the solar thermal panel to the structural material.In some embodiments, a method of constructing a fabricated panel maycomprise inserting a phase change material into the at least one voidspace and coupling the phase change material to the solar thermal panel.

In some embodiments, a method of constructing a fabricated panel maycomprise providing a structural material in which the structuralmaterial comprises wood studs or concrete. In some embodiments, a methodof constructing a fabricated panel may comprise providing one or moreouter layers in which an outer layer may comprise metal foil, drywall,or oriented strand board. In some embodiments, a method of constructinga fabricated panel may comprise inserting a solar thermal panel in whichthe solar thermal panel is directly contacted to a metal foil layer. Insome embodiments, a method of constructing a fabricated panel mayfurther comprise inserting at least one material into the at least onevoid space. The at least one material may be selected from the groupconsisting of i) insulation, ii) shielding, and iii) barrier material.

In some embodiments, a method of fabricating a structure comprises: a)fabricating one or more modular panels, and b) connecting the one ormore modular panels to form a structure. In some embodiments, themodular panels comprise: a) one or more solar thermal panels, b) a phasechange material, c) a metal foil layer, and d) a structural material. Insome embodiments, the one or more solar thermal panels are connected tothe structural material, and the phase change material and metal foillayer are in contact with the one or more thermal panels. In someembodiments, the incorporation of one or more of the modular panels intothe structure reduces the thermal energy consumption of said structureby at least about 10% compared to a structure without the panels.

It shall be understood that different aspects of the disclosure can beappreciated individually, collectively, or in combination with eachother. Various aspects of the disclosure described herein may be appliedto any of the particular applications set forth below or for any othertypes of systems and methods for manipulating materials to form 3Dstructures, or for transportation or assembly of components.

Other objects and features of the present disclosure will becomeapparent by a review of the specification, claims, and appended figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the disclosure are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. A better understanding of the features andadvantages of the present disclosure will be obtained by reference tothe following detailed description that sets forth illustrativeembodiments, in which the principles of the disclosure are utilized, andthe accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 depicts a top-down cross-section of a room constructed from ecosmart panel (ESP) in a modular configuration, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic cross-section of an ESP disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-section of an ESP disclosed herein with avoid space for plumbing and electrical feedthroughs, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 4A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a drywall layer.

FIGS. 4B-4C illustrate the cross sections of the drywall layer in FIG.4A, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a layer of metal foil that may beattached on the drywall layer of FIG. 4 or any other layer of the ESP.

FIGS. 5B-5C illustrate the cross sections of the metal foil layer inFIG. 5A, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a stud frame attached to the drywalllayer and the foil layer.

FIGS. 6B-6C illustrate the cross sections of the stud frame layer inFIG. 6A, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a layer of one or more solar thermalpanel(s) that may be attached on the drywall and/or foil layer of FIG. 6or any other layer of the ESP.

FIGS. 7B-7C illustrate the cross sections of the solar thermal panel(s)in FIG. 7A, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7D illustrates an example of connected solar thermal panels usingconnector(s), in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a layer of phase change material (PCM)within one or more enclosures that may be attached on the solar thermalpanel(s) of FIGS. 7A-7C or any other layer of the ESP.

FIGS. 8B-8C illustrate the cross sections of PCM in FIG. 8A, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 9A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a layer of insulation foam that may beattached on the layer of phase change material (PCM) of FIGS. 8A-8C orany other layer of the ESP.

FIGS. 9B-9C illustrate the cross sections of insulation foam in FIG. 9A,in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 10A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a layer of EMF shielding material thatmay be attached on the layer of oriented strand board (OSB) or any otherlayer of the ESP.

FIGS. 10B-10C illustrate the cross sections of the EMF shieldingmaterial in FIG. 10A, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 11A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a layer of oriented strand board.

FIGS. 11B-11C illustrate the cross sections of the OSB layer in FIG.11A, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 12A illustrates an example of a layer of the eco smart paneldisclosed herein, in this case, a layer of air and vapor barrier thatmay be attached on the layer of oriented strand board or any other layerof the ESP.

FIG. 12B-12C illustrate the cross sections of the barrier layer in FIG.12A, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 13 illustrates a schematic view of the eco smart panel disclosedherein installed in a wall or roof of a building.

FIG. 14 depicts a cross-section view of an ESP configured for anexterior portion of a building or structure, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 15 illustrates a cross-section view of an ESP configured for aninterior portion of a building or structure, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 16 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP with a metalfoil layer mounted to a structural component.

FIG. 17 illustrates a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP with adrywall layer mounted against a metal foil layer.

FIG. 18 depicts a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP with a solarthermal panel mounted against the back of the metal foil layer.

FIG. 19 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP with a phasechange material mounted behind a solar thermal panel.

FIG. 20 illustrates a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP withinsulation mounted behind a phase change material layer.

FIG. 21 depicts a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP with ashielding layer providing isolation from electromagnetic radiation orother internal or external phenomena.

FIG. 22 illustrates a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP with abarrier material to prevent moisture or gas flow from a void space.

FIG. 23 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of an ESP withelectrical and plumbing connections in a void space within the panel.

FIG. 24 depicts a front-view schematic of an ESP with internalelectrical and plumbing routings in a horizontal fashion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thedisclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings and disclosure to refer to the same or likeparts.

Disclosed herein are eco smart panels (ESP) in accordance with variousembodiments. An ESP may include a combination of multiple layers. Thelayers may serve various purposes, including insulation, electromagneticfield (EMF) shielding or other types of shielding, vapor-resistance,structural support, fire-resistance, and durability. In some cases, themultiple layers, after combination, may include one or more specificorders of the layers. In some cases, the combination of multiple layersherein may use screws, adhesive, or any other mechanical and/or chemicalfastening elements and/or methods. The material systems disclosed hereinmay be used as building materials for a wide range of structures andsystems. The materials may be used both as exterior building materialsand interior building materials. Specific configurations of layering maybe used for particular purposes, e.g. a highly water-resistantconfiguration for exterior walls in a humid, rainy, or flood-proneregion. ESPs may be designed for and deployed in to virtually anyenvironment, including arctic, subarctic, temperate coastal areas,desert, and tropical regions. ESPs may be assembled during fabricationof a building or structure, or may be pre-fabricated and assembled in amodular fashion. Modular, pre-fabricated ESPs may permit the rapidconstruction of energy efficient buildings and structures at asubstantial cost savings in a wide range of environments. Buildings orstructures built with ESPs may meet the standards of any applicablebuilding codes or building initiatives and may permit the constructionof structures that have minimal or net zero energy consumption.

In some cases, the ESP may enable optimal energy saving (e.g., saving inthe range of about 10% to about 90% of the total energy used) inresidential and/or commercial buildings by a combination of reducingwastage of energy (e.g., obtaining optimal R-Value using specificcombination of materials in particular orders) and active energygeneration. The optimal R-Value may include but is not limited to therange of R-10 to R-60. The ESP may reduce wastage of energy by providingreflection of energy. The ESP may provide the functionality for activeheating and cooling. For example, such heating and cooling may beradiated from an Aluminum sheet connected to a heat pump or a coolingdevice. A heat pump or cooling device may use renewable energy generatedby elements within the ESP, such as a solar thermal panel. In somecases, the ESP herein can provide fire resistance capabilities to thebuildings. In some cases, the ESP may enable passive control ofmoisture.

FIG. 1 schematically depicts an exemplary room assembled from variousconnected ESPs. An angled corner ESP 150 may be joined to two flat wallESPs 130. A tee ESP 170 may form at least a portion of a rightward wall.FIG. 2 illustrates an ESP 100 shown in cross-section at A-A′ of FIG.12A, in accordance with some embodiments. The panel may comprisemultiple layers 101 through 110 which include an outermost layer on eachend. Any number of layers in a panel may be contemplated. In someembodiments, a sheet rock layer 101 can be configured to face aninterior of a residential or commercial building. A barrier layer 110can be configured to face an exterior of a residential or commercialbuilding.

The enclosure depicted in FIG. 1 demonstrates how an ESP may be utilizedto assemble a building or structure in a modular fashion. The enclosureof FIG. 1 may be a building or structure that contains a single room. Insome cases, a modular ESP system can be used to create buildings orstructures with multiple rooms. An ESP may act as a wall for more thanone room. Modular ESP systems may contain additional joining elements tounite wall and ceiling panels. Joining elements may comprise corners,joints, angles, steps, or any other element necessary to create abuilding or structure. A joining element may be constructed to contain asolar thermal panel, such as the angled corner 150 shown in FIG. 1. Insome cases, an ESP may be configured at its edges or boundaries tocontain one or more elements or components that permit the ESP tocontact, connect, or mate with another ESP to aid in the assembly ofstructures from the ESPs.

FIG. 13 illustrates an ESP 100 installed in a wall 112 or a ceiling of abuilding, in accordance with some embodiments. The panel may beinstalled so that the inner most layer of the panel faces interior 113of the building. The panel may be installed so that the outer most layerof the panel faces exterior 114 of the wall or the building. The panelmay be customized to variable sizes (e.g., length, width, or thickness)to suit specific needs in energy saving and/or to fit into a wall or aceiling of the building. The panel may include one or more layers asdisclosed herein. The panel may expand less than or equal to the entirethickness of the wall and/or ceiling. The panel may be less than orequal to the entire length or width of the wall and/or ceiling. Thepanel may be installed at different locations in a wall or ceiling. Forexample, the panel may be only installed to the north and west facingwalls of a building to save cost and/or efficiently resist cold air/windfor a particular climate. The panel may be of various geometrical shapesin its cross-section in addition to the rectangular and square shown.Other non-limiting examples of cross-sectional shape of the panelinclude oval, triangle, diamond, circle, pentagon, etc.

FIG. 14 depicts a simplified schematic of an ESP configured for exteriorportions of a building or structure. This exterior ESP may comprise avoid space 123 for passing plumbing, telecommunications, and electricalconnections or components, voids that have been filled with aninsulating material 107, and an interior-facing thermal panel 105. FIG.15 shows a simplified schematic of an ESP configured for interiorportions of a building or structure. This interior ESP may comprise voidspaces 123, and thermal panels 105 aligned toward each room. Theconstruction of these types of ESPs may resemble the construction shownin FIG. 3, described herein. FIG. 24 depicts a particular case whereplumbing, electrical, or telecommunication components may be fed throughan ESP in a horizontal fashion parallel to the axis defined by B-B′. Inother cases, electrical, plumbing, or telecommunications components maybe fed through an ESP in a vertical, diagonal, acute, oblique, zig-zagor any other fashion.

An ESP may incorporate numerous types of materials for various purposes.FIGS. 2 and 3 depict two varying embodiments of assembly for an ESP.Both embodiments may include a thermal panel 105, a drywall surface 101,a metal foil layer 102, a phase-change material (PCM) 106, insulatingmaterials 107, shielding 108, and barrier materials 110. FIG. 3 furtherillustrates a void space 123 for permitting the passage of electricalcomponents, plumbing, and possibly telecommunications equipment throughthe ESP.

Numerous embodiments of an ESP may be conceived of given the manypossible combinations of materials and structures. In a layered ESP,layers may be directly or indirectly coupled to neighboring or adjacentlayers. Coupling may include direct or indirect contact. Componentmaterials may be secured to other materials by a fastening mechanismincluding physical means (e.g. screws) or chemical means (e.g.adhesives). In some cases, successive layers in a layered ESP may beseparated by a gap. In other cases, successive layers may be physicallycontacted along parts of a contact surface or an entire contact surface.

The ESP may be part of or incorporated into building walls (e.g.,outside facing walls, internal walls) and/or ceilings. The ESP mayinclude various thicknesses along z-axis and/or various surface areasalong the x-y plane. The sizing of an ESP may be adjusted based upon itslocation in a structure, its intended purpose (e.g. load-bearing vs. nonload-bearing), and any other pertinent considerations. In some cases,the total thickness of an ESP may be about 1 centimeter (cm), 2 cm, 3cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm, 10 cm, 11 cm, 12 cm, 13 cm, 14cm, 15 cm, 16 cm, 17 cm, 18 cm, 19 cm, 20 cm, 21 cm, 22 cm, 23 cm, 24cm, 25 cm, 26 cm, 27 cm, 28 cm, 29 cm, 30 cm, 31 cm, 32 cm, 33 cm, 34cm, 35 cm, 36 cm, 37 cm, 38 cm, 39 cm, 40 cm, 41 cm, 42 cm, 43 cm, 44cm, 45 cm, 46 cm, 47 cm, 48 cm, 49 cm, 50 cm, 60 cm, 70 cm, 80 cm, 90cm, 100 cm, 150 cm, or about 200 cm or even thicker based on where theESP is installed. The total thickness of an ESP may at least about 1 cm,2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm, 10 cm, 11 cm, 12 cm, 13cm, 14 cm, 15 cm, 16 cm, 17 cm, 18 cm, 19 cm, 20 cm, 21 cm, 22 cm, 23cm, 24 cm, 25 cm, 26 cm, 27 cm, 28 cm, 29 cm, 30 cm, 31 cm, 32 cm, 33cm, 34 cm, 35 cm, 36 cm, 37 cm, 38 cm, 39 cm, 40 cm, 41 cm, 42 cm, 43cm, 44 cm, 45 cm, 46 cm, 47 cm, 48 cm, 49 cm, 50 cm, 60 cm, 70 cm, 80cm, 90 cm, 100 cm, 150 cm, or about 200 cm. The total thickness of anESP may be no greater than about 200 cm, 150 cm, 100 cm, 90 cm, 80 cm,70 cm, 60 cm, 50 cm, 49 cm, 48 cm, 47 cm, 46 cm, 45 cm, 44 cm, 43 cm, 42cm, 41 cm, 40 cm, 39 cm, 38 cm, 37 cm, 36 cm, 35 cm, 34 cm, 33 cm, 32cm, 31 cm, 30 cm, 29 cm, 28 cm, 27 cm, 26 cm, 25 cm, 24 cm, 23 cm, 22cm, 21 cm, 20 cm, 19 cm, 18 cm, 17 cm, 16 cm, 15 cm, 14 cm, 13 cm, 12cm, 11 cm, 10 cm, 9 cm, 8 cm, 7 cm, 6 cm, 5 cm, 4 cm, 3 cm, 2 cm, orabout 1 cm. In some cases, the ESP may have a total thickness in a rangefrom about 1 cm to about 10 cm, about 1 cm to about 20 cm, about 1 cm toabout 30 cm, about 1 cm to about 40 cm, about 1 cm to about 50 cm, about1 cm to about 100 cm, about 1 cm to about 150 cm, about 1 cm to about200 cm, about 10 cm to about 20 cm, about 10 cm to about 30 cm, about 10cm to about 40 cm, about 10 cm to about 50 cm, about 10 cm to about 100cm, about 10 cm to about 150 cm, about 10 cm to about 200 cm, about 20cm to about 30 cm, about 20 cm to about 40 cm, about 20 cm to about 50cm, about 20 cm to about 100 cm, about 20 cm to about 150 cm, about 20cm to about 200 cm, about 30 cm to about 40 cm, about 30 cm to about 50cm, about 30 cm to about 100 cm, about 30 cm to about 150 cm, about 30cm to about 200 cm, about 40 cm to about 50 cm, about 40 cm to about 100cm, about 40 cm to about 150 cm, about 40 cm to about 200 cm, about 50cm to about 100 cm, about 50 cm to about 150 cm, about 50 cm to about200 cm, about 100 cm to about 150 cm, about 100 cm to about 200 cm, orfrom about 150 cm to about 200 cm. In certain cases, the thickness of anESP may be about 10 cm to about 25 cm.

In some cases, the surface area of an ESP may be about 0.01 m², 0.05 m²,0.1 m², 0.2 m², 0.4 m², 0.5 m², 1 m², 2 m², 3 m², 4 m², 5 m², 6 m², 7m², 8 m², 9 m², 10 m², 11 m², 12 m², 13 m², 14 m², 15 m², 16 m², 17 m²,18 m², 19 m², 20 m², 21 m², 22 m², 23 m², 24 m², 25 m², 26 m², 27 m², 28m², 29 m², 30 m², 31 m², 32 m², 33 m², 34 m², 35 m², 36 m², 37 m², 38m², 39 m², 40 m², or even larger. The surface area of an ESP may be atleast about 0.01 m², 0.05 m², 0.1 m², 0.2 m², 0.4 m², 0.5 m², 1 m², 2m², 3 m², 4 m², 5 m², 6 m², 7 m², 8 m², 9 m², 10 m², 11 m², 12 m², 13m², 14 m², 15 m², 16 m², 17 m², 18 m², 19 m², 20 m², 21 m², 22 m², 23m², 24 m², 25 m², 26 m², 27 m², 28 m², 29 m², 30 m², 31 m², 32 m², 33m², 34 m², 35 m², 36 m², 37 m², 38 m², 39 m², 40 m², or even larger. Thesurface area of an ESP may be no greater than about 40 m², 39 m², 38 m²,37 m², 36 m², 35 m², 34 m², 33 m², 32 m², 31 m², 30 m², 29 m², 28 m², 27m², 26 m², 25 m², 24 m², 23 m², 22 m², 21 m², 20 m², 19 m², 18 m², 17m², 16 m², 15 m², 14 m², 13 m², 12 m², 11 m², 10 m², 9 m², 8 m², 7 m², 6m², 5 m², 4 m², 3 m², 2 m², or about 1 m². In some cases, the surfacearea of an ESP may have a range from about 0.01 m² to about 0.1 m²,about 0.01 m² to about 0.5 m², about 0.01 m² to about 1 m², about 0.01m² to about 5 m², about 0.01 m² to about 10 m², about 0.01 m² to about15 m², about 0.01 m² to about 20 m², about 0.01 m² to about 30 m², about0.01 m² to about 40 m², about 0.1 m² to about 0.5 m², about 0.1 m² toabout 1 m², about 0.1 m² to about 5 m², about 0.1 m² to about 10 m²,about 0.1 m² to about 15 m², about 0.1 m² to about 20 m², about 0.1 m²to about 30 m², about 0.1 m² to about 40 m², about 0.5 m² to about 1 m²,about 0.5 m² to about 5 m², about 0.5 m² to about 10 m², about 0.5 m² toabout 15 m², about 0.5 m² to about 20 m², about 0.5 m² to about 30 m²,about 0.5 m² to about 40 m², about 1 m² to about 5 m², about 1 m² toabout 10 m², about 1 m² to about 15 m², about 1 m² to about 20 m², about1 m² to about 30 m², about 1 m² to about 40 m², about 5 m² to about 10m², about 5 m² to about 15 m², about 5 m² to about 20 m², about 5 m² toabout 30 m², about 5 m² to about 40 m², about 10 m² to about 15 m²,about 10 m² to about 20 m², about 10 m² to about 30 m², about 10 m² toabout 40 m², about 15 m² to about 20 m², about 15 m² to about 30 m²,about 15 m² to about 40 m², about 20 m² to about 30 m², about 20 m² toabout 40 m², or about 30 m² to about 40 m².

An ESP may be made of one or more layers. In some cases, an ESP may have1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more layers. An ESP may have at leastabout 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more layers. An ESP may have nomore than about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or about 1 layer. The numberof layers in an ESP may be in a range from about 1 to about 2 layers,about 1 to about 3 layers, about 1 to about 4 layers, about 1 to about 5layers, about 1 to about 6 layers, about 1 to about 7 layers, about 1 toabout 8 layers, about 1 to about 9 layers, or about 1 to about 10layers.

In some cases, the thickness of an ESP layer may be about 0.01 cm, 0.02cm, 0.03 cm, 0.04 cm, 0.05 cm, 0.06 cm, 0.07 cm, 0.08 cm, 0.09 cm, 0.1cm, 0.2 cm, 0.3 cm, 0.4 cm, 0.5 cm, 0.6 cm, 0.7 cm, 0.8 cm, 0.9 cm, 1cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm, 10 cm, 11 cm, 12 cm,13 cm, 14 cm, 15 cm, 16 cm, 17 cm, 18 cm, 19 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50cm, 60 cm, 70 cm, 80 cm, 90 cm, 100 cm, 150 cm, or about 200 cm or eventhicker based on where the ESP is installed. The thickness of an ESPlayer may at least about 0.01 cm, 0.02 cm, 0.03 cm, 0.04 cm, 0.05 cm,0.06 cm, 0.07 cm, 0.08 cm, 0.09 cm, 0.1 cm, 0.2 cm, 0.3 cm, 0.4 cm, 0.5cm, 0.6 cm, 0.7 cm, 0.8 cm, 0.9 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm,7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm, 10 cm, 11 cm, 12 cm, 13 cm, 14 cm, 15 cm, 16 cm, 17cm, 18 cm, 19 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm, 60 cm, 70 cm, 80 cm, 90cm, 100 cm, 150 cm, or about 200. The thickness of an ESP layer may beno greater than about 200 cm, 150 cm, 100 cm, 90 cm, 80 cm, 70 cm, 60cm, 50 cm, 40 cm, 30 cm, 20 cm, 19 cm, 18 cm, 17 cm, 16 cm, 15 cm, 14cm, 13 cm, 12 cm, 11 cm, 10 cm, 9 cm, 8 cm, 7 cm, 6 cm, 5 cm, 4 cm, 3cm, 2 cm, 1 cm, 0.9 cm, 0.8 cm, 0.7 cm, 0.6 cm, 0.5 cm, 0.4 cm, 0.3 cm,0.2 cm, 0.1 cm, 0.09 cm, 0.08 cm, 0.07 cm, 0.06 cm, 0.05 cm, 0.04 cm,0.03 cm, 0.02 cm, or about 0.03 cm. In some cases, the ESP layer mayhave a total thickness in a range from about 0.01 cm to about 0.1 cm,0.01 cm to about 1 cm, 0.01 cm to about 5 cm, 0.01 cm to about 10 cm,0.01 cm to about 15 cm, 0.01 cm to about 20 cm, 0.01 cm to about 30 cm,0.01 cm to about 40 cm, 0.01 cm to about 50 cm, 0.01 cm to about 100 cm,0.01 cm to about 200 cm, 0.1 cm to about 1 cm, 0.1 cm to about 5 cm, 0.1cm to about 10 cm, 0.1 cm to about 15 cm, 0.1 cm to about 20 cm, 0.1 cmto about 30 cm, 0.1 cm to about 40 cm, 0.1 cm to about 50 cm, 0.1 cm toabout 100 cm, 0.1 cm to about 200 cm, 1 cm to about 5 cm, 1 cm to about10 cm, 1 cm to about 15 cm, 1 cm to about 20 cm, 1 cm to about 30 cm, 1cm to about 40 cm, 1 cm to about 50 cm, 1 cm to about 100 cm, 1 cm toabout 200 cm, 5 cm to about 10 cm, 5 cm to about 15 cm, 5 cm to about 20cm, 5 cm to about 30 cm, 5 cm to about 40 cm, 5 cm to about 50 cm, 5 cmto about 100 cm, 5 cm to about 200 cm, 10 cm to about 15 cm, 10 cm toabout 20 cm, 10 cm to about 30 cm, 10 cm to about 40 cm, 10 cm to about50 cm, 10 cm to about 100 cm, 10 cm to about 200 cm, 15 cm to about 20cm, 15 cm to about 30 cm, 15 cm to about 40 cm, 15 cm to about 50 cm, 15cm to about 100 cm, 15 cm to about 200 cm, 20 cm to about 30 cm, 20 cmto about 40 cm, 20 cm to about 50 cm, 20 cm to about 100 cm, 20 cm toabout 200 cm, 30 cm to about 40 cm, 30 cm to about 50 cm, 30 cm to about100 cm, 30 cm to about 200 cm, 40 cm to about 50 cm, 40 cm to about 100cm, 40 cm to about 200 cm, 50 cm to about 100 cm, 50 cm to about 200 cm,or about 100 cm to about 200 cm.

An ESP may have a particular height and width. The height and width ofESPs may be standardized or customizable. ESPs of a particular heightmay be joined together to create customizable widths. An ESP may have aheight of about 3 feet (ft), 4 ft, 5 ft, 6 ft, 7, ft, 8 ft, 9 ft, 10 ft,11 ft, 12 ft, 13 ft, 14 ft, 15 ft or greater. An ESP may have a heightof at least about 3 ft, 4 ft, 5 ft, 6 ft, 7, ft, 8 ft, 9 ft, 10 ft, 11ft, 12 ft, 13 ft, 14 ft, 15 ft or greater. An ESP may have a height ofno greater than about 15 ft, 14 ft, 13 ft, 12 ft, 11 ft, 10 ft, 9 ft, 8ft, 7 ft, 6 ft, 5 ft, 4 ft, or about 3 ft. An ESP may have a height in arange from about 3 ft to about 6 ft, about 3 ft to about 8 ft, about 3ft to about 9 ft, about 3 ft to about 10 ft, about 3 ft to about 12 ft,about 3 ft to about 15 ft, about 6 ft to about 8 ft, about 6 ft to about9 ft, about 6 ft to about 10 ft, about 6 ft to about 12 ft, about 6 ftto about 15 ft, about 8 ft to about 9 ft, about 8 ft to about 10 ft,about 8 ft to about 12 ft, about 8 ft to about 15 ft, about 9 ft toabout 10 ft, about 9 ft to about 12 ft, about 9 ft to about 15 ft, about10 ft to about 12 ft, about 10 ft to about 15 ft, or about 12 ft toabout 15 ft. In certain cases, the height of an ESP may be from about 4ft to about 12 ft. An ESP may have a width of about 1 ft, 2 ft, 3 ft, 4ft, 5 ft, 6 ft, 7 ft, 8 ft, 9, ft, 10 ft, 12 ft, 15 ft, 20 ft orgreater. An ESP may have a width of at least about 1 ft, 2 ft, 3 ft, 4ft, 5 ft, 6 ft, 7 ft, 8 ft, 9, ft, 10 ft, 12 ft, 15 ft, 20 ft orgreater. An ESP may have a width of no greater than about 20 ft, 15 ft,12 ft, 10 ft, 9 ft, 8 ft, 7 ft, 6 ft, 5 ft, 4 ft, 3 ft, 2 ft, or about 1ft. An ESP may have a width in a range from about 1 ft to about 2 ft,about 1 ft to about 4 ft, about 1 ft to about 6 ft, about 1 ft to about10 ft, about 1 ft to about 15 ft, about 1 ft to about 20 ft, about 2 ftto about 4 ft, about 2 ft to about 6 ft, about 2 ft to about 10 ft,about 2 ft to about 15 ft, about 2 ft to about 20 ft, about 4 ft toabout 6 ft, about 4 ft to about 10 ft, about 4 ft to about 15 ft, about4 ft to about 20 ft, about 6 ft to about 10 ft, about 6 ft to about 15ft, about 6 ft to about 20 ft, about 10 ft to about 15 ft, about 10 ftto about 20 ft, or about 15 ft to about 20 ft. In certain cases, thewidth of an ESP may be about 2 ft to about 20 ft.

An ESP may have a characteristic mass on an areal basis. An ESP may havea mass on an areal basis of about 0.5 kilograms per square meter(kg/m²), 1 kg/m², 2 kg/m², 3 kg/m², 4 kg/m², 5 kg/m², 6 kg/m², 7 kg/m²,8 kg/m², 9 kg/m², 10 kg/m², 11 kg/m², 12 kg/m², 13 kg/m², 14 kg/m², 15kg/m², 16 kg/m², 17 kg/m², 18 kg/m², 19 kg/m², 20 kg/m², 21 kg/m², 22kg/m², 23 kg/m², 24 kg/m², 25 kg/m², 26 kg/m², 27 kg/m², 28 kg/m², 29kg/m², or about 30 kg/m². An ESP may have a mass on an areal basis of atleast about 0.5 kg/m², 1 kg/m², 2 kg/m², 3 kg/m², 4 kg/m², 5 kg/m², 6kg/m², 7 kg/m², 8 kg/m², 9 kg/m², 10 kg/m², 11 kg/m², 12 kg/m², 13kg/m², 14 kg/m², 15 kg/m², 16 kg/m², 17 kg/m², 18 kg/m², 19 kg/m², 20kg/m², 21 kg/m², 22 kg/m², 23 kg/m², 24 kg/m², 25 kg/m², 26 kg/m², 27kg/m², 28 kg/m², 29 kg/m², or about 30 kg/m². An ESP may have a mass onan areal basis of no greater than about 30 kg/m², 29 kg/m², 28 kg/m², 27kg/m², 26 kg/m², 25 kg/m², 24 kg/m², 23 kg/m², 22 kg/m², 21 kg/m², 20kg/m², 19 kg/m², 18 kg/m², 17 kg/m², 16 kg/m², 15 kg/m², 14 kg/m², 13kg/m², 12 kg/m², 11 kg/m², 10 kg/m², 9 kg/m², 8 kg/m², 7 kg/m², 6 kg/m²,5 kg/m², 4 kg/m², 3 kg/m², 2 kg/m², 1 kg/m², or about 0.5 kg/m². An ESPmay have a mass on an areal basis from about 0.5 kg/m² to about 1 kg/m²,about 0.5 kg/m² to about 5 kg/m², about 0.5 kg/m² to about 10 kg/m²,about 0.5 kg/m² to about 15 kg/m², about 0.5 kg/m² to about 20 kg/m²,about 0.5 kg/m² to about 25 kg/m², about 0.5 kg/m² to about 30 kg/m²,about 1 kg/m² to about 5 kg/m², about 1 kg/m² to about 10 kg/m², about 1kg/m² to about 15 kg/m², about 1 kg/m² to about 20 kg/m², about 1 kg/m²to about 25 kg/m², about 1 kg/m² to about 30 kg/m², about 5 kg/m² toabout 10 kg/m², about 5 kg/m² to about 15 kg/m², about 5 kg/m² to about20 kg/m², about 5 kg/m² to about 25 kg/m², about 5 kg/m² to about 30kg/m², about 10 kg/m² to about 15 kg/m², about 10 kg/m² to about 20kg/m², about 10 kg/m² to about 25 kg/m², about 10 kg/m² to about 30kg/m², about 15 kg/m² to about 20 kg/m², about 15 kg/m² to about 25kg/m², about 15 kg/m² to about 30 kg/m², about 20 kg/m² to about 25kg/m², about 20 kg/m² to about 30 kg/m², or about 25 kg/m² to about 30kg/m².

An ESP may have a characteristic mass on a volumetric basis. An ESP mayhave a mass on a volumetric basis of about 100 kilograms per cubic meter(kg/m³), 200 kg/m³, 300 kg/m³, 400 kg/m³, 500 kg/m³, 600 kg/m³, 700kg/m³, 800 kg/m³, 900 kg/m³, 1000 kg/m³, 1500 kg/m³, 2000 kg/m³, 2500kg/m³, or about 3000 kg/m³. An ESP may have a mass on a volumetric basisof at least about 100 kg/m³, 200 kg/m³, 300 kg/m³, 400 kg/m³, 500 kg/m³,600 kg/m³, 700 kg/m³, 800 kg/m³, 900 kg/m³, 1000 kg/m³, 1500 kg/m³, 2000kg/m³, 2500 kg/m³, or about 3000 kg/m³. An ESP may have a weight on avolumetric basis of no greater than about 3000 kg/m³, 2500 kg/m³, 2000kg/m³, 1500 kg/m³, 1000 kg/m³, 900 kg/m³, 800 kg/m³, 700 kg/m³, 600kg/m³, 500 kg/m³, 400 kg/m³, 300 kg/m³, 200 kg/m³, or about 100 kg/m³.An ESP may have a mass on a volumetric basis in a range from about 100kg/m³ to about 500 kg/m³, about 100 kg/m³ to about 1000 kg/m³, about 100kg/m³ to about 1500 kg/m³, about 100 kg/m³ to about 2000 kg/m³, about100 kg/m³ to about 2500 kg/m³, about 100 kg/m³ to about 3000 kg/m³,about 500 kg/m³ to about 1000 kg/m³, about 500 kg/m³ to about 1500kg/m³, about 500 kg/m³ to about 2000 kg/m³, about 500 kg/m³ to about2500 kg/m³, about 500 kg/m³ to about 3000 kg/m³, about 1000 kg/m³ toabout 1500 kg/m³, about 1000 kg/m³ to about 2000 kg/m³, about 1000 kg/m³to about 2500 kg/m³, about 1000 kg/m³ to about 3000 kg/m³, about 1500kg/m³ to about 2000 kg/m³, about 1500 kg/m³ to about 2500 kg/m³, about1500 kg/m³ to about 3000 kg/m³, about 2000 kg/m³ to about 2500 kg/m³,about 2000 kg/m³ to about 3000 kg/m³, or about 2500 kg/m³ to about 3000kg/m³.

An ESP may have one or more incorporated materials that increase thethermal resistance of the material. The overall insulatingcharacteristics of an ESP may be defined by an R-value. An ESP may havean overall R-value of about 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48,49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, or about 60. An ESP may havean overall R-value of at least about 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28,29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46,47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, or about 60. An ESPmay have an overall R-value of no more than about 60, 59, 58, 57, 56,55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38,37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20,19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, orabout 0.5. An ESP may have an overall R-value in a range from about 0.5to about 5, about 0.5 to about 10, about 0.5 to about 20, about 0.5 toabout 30, about 0.5 to about 40, about 0.5 to about 50, about 0.5 toabout 60, about 5 to about 10, about 5 to about 20, about 5 to about 30,about 5 to about 40, about 5 to about 50, about 5 to about 60, about 10to about 20, about 10 to about 30, about 10 to about 40, about 10 toabout 50, about 10 to about 60, about 20 to about 30, about 20 to about40, about 20 to about 50, about 20 to about 60, about 30 to about 40,about 30 to about 50, about 30 to about 60, about 40 to about 50, about40 to about 60, or about 50 to about 60.

Material incorporated into an ESP may have chosen to enhance theinsulating properties of the ESP. A particular ESP-incorporated materialmay have an R-value of about 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48,49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, orgreater. A particular ESP-incorporated material may have an R-value ofat least about 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33,34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51,52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 or greater. Aparticular ESP-incorporated material may have an R-value of no greaterthan about 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50,49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32,31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14,13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, or about 0.5. A particularESP-incorporated material may have an R-value in a range from about 0.5to about 5, about 0.5 to about 10, about 0.5 to about 20, about 0.5 toabout 30, about 0.5 to about 40, about 0.5 to about 50, about 0.5 toabout 100, about 5 to about 10, about 5 to about 20, about 5 to about30, about 5 to about 40, about 5 to about 50, about 5 to about 100,about 10 to about 20, about 10 to about 30, about 10 to about 40, about10 to about 50, about 10 to about 100, about 20 to about 30, about 20 toabout 40, about 20 to about 50, about 20 to about 100, about 30 to about40, about 30 to about 50, about 30 to about 100, about 40 to about 50,about 40 to about 100, or about 50 to about 100.

An ESP may be designed to decrease the flammability or increase the fireresistance of a building or structure. Fire resistance may includeresistance to fires from any external source, including wildfires andfires spreading from neighboring structures. Fire resistance may includeresistance to internal fires, such as cooking fires, electrical fires,and appliance fires. An ESP may include materials specifically designedto be non-flammable, such as concretes and fiberglasses. An ESP maymaintain its structure and properties after being exposed to an externalor internal fire. A building comprising ESPs may sufficiently withstandfire so as to allow rapid reconstruction after a fire. For example, abuilding or structure in a wildfire may only incur significant roofdamage while the internal areas of the house remain undamaged or lightlydamaged. An ESP may be designed and assembled to meet a particularflammability standard, e.g. ASTM E2707-15.

An ESP may alter the energy consumption level of a building or structurewhen compared to an equivalent building that does not incorporate ESPs.The incorporation of one or more ESPs may reduce the total energyconsumption of a building or structure by about 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%,60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or greater. The incorporation of one or more ESPsmay reduce the total energy consumption of a building or structure by atleast about 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or greater. Thetotal energy consumption may be defined as the total amount of energythat must be supplied via an external source (e.g. power lines) to thebuilding for all activities within the building. The incorporation ofone or more ESPs may reduce the thermal energy consumption of a buildingor structure by about 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, orgreater. The incorporation of one or more ESPs may reduce the thermalenergy consumption of a building or structure by at least about 10%,20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or greater. The thermal energyconsumption may be defined as the total amount of energy that must besupplied by an external source (e.g. power lines) for thermal control ofa building, including the energy costs of heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (cooling).

Drywall Layer

In some cases, the ESP 100 may include a layer of drywall, plasterboard,wallboard, gypsum panel, Sheetrock®, gypsum board, or the like. Thesheet rock layer 101, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4A-4C, and 17, may be a panelincluding calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum). The sheet rock layer maybe with or without additives and pressed between two sheets, e.g., thicksheets of paper. FIGS. 4B-4C show cross sections within the x-z planeand y-z plane, respectively. In some cases, the sheet of paper may berecycled paper, and the gypsum, or more generally, types of rocks turnedinto powders are enclosed within the two sheets, with or without anygypsum exposed to the exterior of the dry wall layer. The drywall layermay correspond to the most interior layer of the ESP. In some cases, theadditives may include fiber (e.g., paper, fiberglass), plasticizer,foaming agent, and various other additives that can help decreasemildew, increase fire resistance, and lower water absorption. Thedrywall layer may be made of low volatile organic compound (VOC)emitting material.

The drywall layer may be GREENGUARD Gold certified. The drywall layermay meet or exceed the ASTM C1396 code which includes specification forgypsum board/layers.

In some cases, the sheet rock layer may be positioned so that it doesnot extend outside the surface area of the ESP along the x-y plane.

In some cases, the drywall layer/board may include a USG Sheetrockgypsum board. The drywall layer may be about half inch thick.

Metal Foils

In some cases, the ESP 100 may include a layer of a metal foil/alloy 102as shown in FIGS. 2, 5A-5C, and 16. In some embodiments, the metal foilis attached onto a drywall layer 101. The metal foil may be a secondmost interior layer along the z axis. In some cases, the foil 102 may beconfigured to provide conductivity as the heating and cooling transfers,e.g., through or from other layers, to the drywall layer via the metalfoil. In some cases, the foil may include a sustainable material thatdoes not form rust. Any suitable metal or alloy may be used in a foillayer. In some cases, the metal foil may be an aluminum foil. Thealuminum foil may be alloyed with various other elements such asmagnesium, manganese, copper, nickel, silicon, or zinc. The metalfoil/alloy herein may be durable, versatile, and easy to use. The metalfoil/alloy herein may facilitate heating and cooling to its adjacentlayer(s) (e.g., drywall layer 101) of the ESP. A metal foil may beutilized in large sheets, tapes, or wraps. A metal foil may compriseadditional components such as polymers, plastics, paper-backing, orinsulating materials.

A metal foil may be chosen to have particular radiative heat transferproperties. A metal foil may have a dull finish or a mirror-like finish.A metal foil may have a chosen emissivity depending upon its compositionand surface characteristics. A metal foil may have an emissivity ofabout 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, orabout 0.40. A metal foil may have an emissivity of at least about 0.05,0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, or about 0.40. Ametal foil may have an emissivity of no greater than about 0.40, 0.30,0.25, 0.20, 0.15, 0.10, 0.09, 0.08, 0.07, 0.06, or about 0.05. A metalfoil may have an emissivity in a range from about 0.05 to about 0.10,about 0.05 to about 0.20, about 0.05 to about 0.30, about 0.05 to about0.40, about 0.10 to about 0.20, about 0.10 to about 0.30, about 0.10 toabout 0.40, about 0.20 to about 0.30, about 0.20 to about 0.40, or about0.30 to about 0.40.

Structural Materials

An ESP may include structural materials that provide shape, structure,or strength to the panel. In some cases, one or more structuralmaterials may comprise a frame or mold for attaching, holding, orsecuring other materials in an ESP. Structural materials may includestuds, rods, bars, and sheets. Metals, woods, and concretes, andcomposite materials may be used for structural materials. Thesematerials may be arranged as frame and filled with other materials suchas insulation. In some cases, structural materials may comprise a layerof an ESP.

An ESP may comprise concrete as a structural material. The concrete maybe precast before assembly of an ESP. The concrete may contain otherstructural elements, such as rebar, to increase the strength or rigidityof the panel. The concrete may contain other fillers to alter theconcrete properties, such as fiberglass or resins. Concrete fillers maybe added to decrease the weight or density of an ESP panel or alter thethermal characteristics of the concrete. Additional layers of an ESP(e.g. insulation, PCMs) may be secured to the surface of a concretestructural component.

In some cases, the ESP may include a layer of stud(s) 103 a, 103 b asshown in FIGS. 2 and 6A-6C. Such studs may be placed on at least aportion of the surface area as shown in FIG. 6. The stud may include anoutside frame stud 103 a and a middle stud 103 b. Stud(s) may be premiumkiln dried for straight edge(s). A stud may have a common commercialsizing or be a custom size. A stud may have a nominal size, including1×2, 1×3, 1×4, 1×6, 1×8, 1×10, 1×12, 2×2, 2×3, 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, 2×10,2×12, 4×4, 4×6, or 4×8. A nominal sizing may not reflect the actualdimensions of the stud. A stud may include various sizes along x, y, orz axis. In some cases, the stud 103 a, 103 b may include a size, 1,along the y direction that is no greater than that the size, m, of theESP, as shown in FIG. 6A.

In some cases, the stud(s) are sized so as to provide space for theinsulating material to hold the phase change material (PCM) in place.

In some cases, studs are fastened with screws, e.g., galvanized, fromthe drywall layer 101. Such fastening may provide an opening 104 for thesolar thermal panels 105 and PCM material 106 of the ESP. Thus, thesolar thermal panels and PCM material may be placed adjacent to thedrywall layer 101, the foil layer 102, the structural layer (103 a, 103b), and/or the extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation layer 107.

The stud frame may include additional stud 103 c. For example, as inFIGS. 8A-8C, a stud (e.g., 2 inches by 2 inches) can be mounted betweenthe Phase Change Material and the Insulation to provide structuralsupport for the panel. Such additional stud 103 c may also providestrength to the thermal panel attached to the sheetrock and connectingthe plumbing lines.

In some cases, a structural material may be constructed to form apre-fabricated structure before final assembly of the ESP. A structuralmaterial may be extruded into the shape of the ESP support. Extrudedstructural materials may include fiberglass foams or resins. An extrudedstructure may include void spaces for adding elements of an ESP (e.g. asolar thermal panel). Void spaces may be used to insert elements intothe ESP during assembly. Void spaces may be filled with other materials,such as fiberglass or gypsum, after assembly of an ESP.

Solar Thermal Panel(s)

In some cases, the ESP includes a layer of solar thermal panel 105 asshown in FIGS. 2, 7A-7D, and 17. The solar panel can be configured tocollect solar energy. Such collected solar energy may be used to provideheating and cooling without using gas furnaces or refrigerants such asfreon gas for air-conditioning. In some cases, an ESP may comprise atleast 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more solar thermal panels.

In some cases, the solar thermal panels herein are similar to the solarpanels on the roof to collect the heat and run it through the heat pumpthus providing hot water for the building.

In some cases, the solar thermal panel is configured to allow passivesolar heating. Such solar thermal panel may be made to collect, store,and distribute solar energy in the form of heat when needed, forexample, in the winter. In some cases, the solar thermal panel along orin combination with other layers of the ESP is configured to allowpassive solar cooling by rejecting solar heat, for example, in thesummer. The passive solar heating or solar cooling need not involve theuse of mechanical and/or electrical devices. As an example, the solarthermal panel may collect/store thermal energy during the day time anddistribute the thermal energy for heating at night. Passive solarheating or cooling may utilize a local climate estimate and/or a siteanalysis of the building for efficient and accurate heating and cooling.

A solar thermal panel may have a rated thermal capacity. A solar thermalpanel may absorb about 10 Watts per square meter (W/m²), 50 W/m², 100W/m², 150 W/m², 200 W/m², 250 W/m², 300 W/m², 350 W/m², or about 400W/m². A solar thermal panel may absorb at least about 10 W/m², 50 W/m²,100 W/m², 150 W/m², 200 W/m², 250 W/m², 300 W/m², 350 W/m², or about 400W/m². A solar thermal panel may absorb no greater than about 400 W/m²,350 W/m², 300 W/m², 250 W/m², 200 W/m², 150 W/m², 100 W/m², 50 W/m², orabout 10 W/m². A solar thermal panel may absorb energy in a range fromabout 10 W/m² to about 50 W/m², about 10 W/m² to about 100 W/m², about10 W/m² to about 150 W/m², about 10 W/m² to about 200 W/m², about 10W/m² to about 250 W/m², about 10 W/m² to about 300 W/m², about 10 W/m²to about 350 W/m², about 10 W/m² to about 400 W/m², about 50 W/m² toabout 100 W/m², about 50 W/m² to about 150 W/m², about 50 W/m² to about200 W/m², about 50 W/m² to about 250 W/m², about 50 W/m² to about 300W/m², about 50 W/m² to about 350 W/m², about 50 W/m² to about 400 W/m²,about 100 W/m² to about 100 W/m², about 100 W/m² to about 150 W/m²,about 100 W/m² to about 200 W/m², about 100 W/m² to about 250 W/m²,about 100 W/m² to about 300 W/m², about 100 W/m² to about 350 W/m²,about 100 W/m² to about 400 W/m², about 150 W/m² to about 200 W/m²,about 150 W/m² to about 250 W/m², about 150 W/m² to about 300 W/m²,about 150 W/m² to about 350 W/m², about 150 W/m² to about 400 W/m²,about 200 W/m² to about 250 W/m², about 200 W/m² to about 300 W/m²,about 200 W/m² to about 350 W/m², about 200 W/m² to about 400 W/m²,about 250 W/m² to about 300 W/m², about 250 W/m² to about 350 W/m²,about 250 W/m² to about 400 W/m², about 300 W/m² to about 350 W/m²,about 300 W/m² to about 400 W/m², or about 350 W/m² to about 400 W/m².

A single solar thermal panel may collect an amount of energy per day. Asingle solar thermal panel may collect 1 kiloWatt-hour (kWh), 5 kWh, 10kWh, 20 kWh, 30 kWh, 40 kWh, 50 kWh, 60 kWh, 70 kWh, 80 kWh, 90 kWh, orabout 100 kWh. A solar thermal panel may collect no more than about 1kWh, 5 kWh, 10 kWh, 20 kWh, 30 kWh, 40 kWh, 50 kWh, 60 kWh, 70 kWh, 80kWh, 90 kWh, or about 100 kWh. A solar thermal panel may collect nogreater than about 100 kWh, 90 kWh, 80 kWh, 70 kWh, 60 kWh, 50 kWh, 40kWh, 30 kWh, 20 kWh, 10 kWh, 5 kWh, or about 1 kWh. A solar thermalpanel may collect about 1 kWh to about 5 kWh, about 1 kWh to about 20kWh, about 1 kWh to about 40 kWh, about 1 kWh to about 60 kWh, about 1kWh to about 80 kWh, about 1 kWh to about 100 kWh, about 5 kWh to about20 kWh, about 5 kWh to about 40 kWh, about 5 kWh to about 60 kWh, about5 kWh to about 80 kWh, about 5 kWh to about 100 kWh, about 20 kWh toabout 40 kWh, about 20 kWh to about 60 kWh, about 20 kWh to about 80kWh, about 20 kWh to about 100 kWh, about 40 kWh to about 60 kWh, about40 kWh to about 80 kWh, about 40 kWh to about 100 kWh, about 60 kWh toabout 80 kWh, about 60 kWh to about 100 kWh, or about 80 kWh to about100 kWh.

In some cases, the solar thermal panel can be configured to allow activesolar heating and/or cooling. In some cases, active heating or coolingmay require additional elements such as a heat pump, thermoelectricdevice or other devices that may convert one type of energy into heatingor cooling. As an example, solar thermal energy may be collected andtransformed into electrical energy that powers a heat pump, a coil heatexchanger, or a thermoelectric device for cooling. As another example,solar thermal energy may be directly used to heat fluid for heating.

In some cases, the solar thermal panel may include one or more of: adark flat-plate absorber, a transparent cover that reduces heat losses,a heat-transport fluid (e.g., air, antifreeze, water) to transfer heatfrom the absorber, and/or a heat-insulating element. The absorber mayinclude a sheet (e.g., thermally-stable polymers, aluminum, steel orcopper). In some cases, a coating, such as a matte dark coating may beapplied to the absorber sheet. In some cases, the absorber sheet ispositioned adjacent to a grid or coil of heat-transfer fluid tubingplaced in an insulated casing.

As shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, the ESP may include one or more solar thermalpanels and each panel may occupy part of the surface area of the ESP. Insome cases, the total surface area of all the panels may occupy an areathat is less than or equal to the surface area of the ESP along the x-yplane. As an example, the solar panel layer 105 may not cover the studs103 a, 103 b as shown in FIGS. 7A-7C.

FIG. 7D shows how the more than one solar thermal panel may be connectedvia one or more electrically-conductive connectors 105 a, so that morethan one solar panel can be connected in series or in parallel. Theconnectors 105 a may be any suitable connectors or commerciallyavailable connectors such as a MC4 solar panel connector.

In some cases, one or more of the solar thermal panels may include athickness along the z axis in the range of about 1 cm to about 0.5 m.

Phase Change Material (PCM)

The ESP may include a phase change material (PCM) layer 106 as in FIGS.2, 8A-8C, and 19. The PCM may be encapsulated, as a nonlimiting example,in one or more enclosures 106 as shown in FIGS. 8A-C. The one or moreenclosures may be formed by metal foil and/or other thermal conductivematerial. Each enclosure may be of various 3-D shapes, for example,approximately rectangular shape within the x-y plane as in FIGS. 6A-6C.Other nonlimiting examples of enclosure shape include square, diamond,circle, etc. In some cases, the PCM layer may occupy an area that is nogreater than the surface area of the ESP. As an example, the PCM layermay not cover the studs 103 a, 103 b as shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. In somecases, each enclosure may have a uniform or non-uniform thickness alongthe z axis when the PCM is in a solid or fluid state.

In some cases, the PCM material of the ESP herein forms a separatelayer. For example, the PCM material may be placed within an enclosureformed between two adjacent layers, and the enclosure may occupy atleast a part of an entire surface area of the ESP within the x-y plane.In some cases, the PCM material may occupy about 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, oreven larger portion of the entire surface area within the x-y plane. ThePCM material of the ESP may or may be not embedded in any insulatingmaterial or any other layer of the ESP. The PCM material may heat up oneor more layers that are interior to the PCM material, such as thedrywall layer 101, thereby allowing passive heating of the interiorsurface of the building using the energy stored by the PCM material. ThePCM material/layer in the ESP may facilitate the provision of aconsistent temperature for the ESP panel in conjunction with the radiantheating and cooling. Thus, the ESP with phase change material (PCM) 106may be configured to provide passive energy savings. The ESP may includea separate reflective sheet to reflect the energy, or use one or morelayers alone or in combination for providing reflection of energy,thereby enabling further passive energy savings.

A PCM may be chosen from any suitable material depending upon theexpected operating conditions and the desired performancecharacteristics. A PCM may be chosen to operate in a narrowertemperature range in certain environments that have modest seasonaltemperature changes, e.g. coastal California. A PCM may be chosen tooperate in a broader temperature range for other environments thatexperience larger seasonal temperature variation, e.g. the Great Plainsof the United States and Canada. Candidate materials for PCMs mayinclude paraffin waxes, bio-based waxes, other bio-based materials (e.g.carbohydrates or lipids), salt hydrates, inorganic eutectic materials,hygroscopic materials, and solid-solid materials. A PCM may be composedof more than one material to increase the range of temperatureperformance.

In some cases, energy efficiency of the ESP may be determined by the PCMlayer. The PCM may be non-toxic and non-corrosive. The PCM may have auseful life about 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 years oreven longer. A PCM may have a useful life of at least about 10, 20, 30,40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 years or even longer. A PCM may have auseful life in a range from about 10 years to about 20 years, about 10years to about 40 years, about 10 years to about 60 years, about 10years to about 80 years, about 10 years to about 100 years, about 20years to about 40 years, about 20 years to about 60 years, about 20years to about 80 years, about 20 years to about 100 years, about 40years to about 60 years, about 40 years to about 80 years, about 40years to about 100 years, about 60 years to about 80 years, about 60years to about 100 years, or about 80 years to about 100 years.

A PCM may have a wide range of possible operating temperatures. A PCMmay be optimized to function at a particular temperature or beconfigured to offer performance over a broad range of temperatures. APCM may have an optimum performance at a temperature of about −50° C.,−40° C., −30° C., −20° C., −10° C., 0° C., 10° C., 20° C., 30° C., 40°C., 50° C., 60° C., 70° C., 80° C., or about 90° C. A PCM may haveoptimum performance at a temperature of at least about −50° C., −40° C.,−30° C., −20° C., −10° C., 0° C., 10° C., 20° C., 30° C., 40° C., 50°C., 60° C., 70° C., 80° C., or about 90° C. A PCM may have optimumperformance at a temperature of no greater than about 90° C., 80° C.,70° C., 60° C., 50° C., 40° C., 30° C., 20° C., 10° C., 0° C., −10° C.,−20° C., −30° C., −40° C., or about −50° C. A PCM may be optimized toperform in a range from about −50° C. to about −20° C., −50° C. to about0° C., −50° C. to about 10° C., −50° C. to about 20° C., −50° C. toabout 30° C., −50° C. to about 40° C., −50° C. to about 50° C., −50° C.to about 90° C., −20° C. to about 0° C., −20° C. to about 10° C., −20°C. to about 20° C., −20° C. to about 30° C., −20° C. to about 40° C.,−20° C. to about 50° C., −20° C. to about 90° C., 0° C. to about 10° C.,0° C. to about 20° C., 0° C. to about 30° C., 0° C. to about 40° C., 0°C. to about 50° C., 0° C. to about 90° C., 10° C. to about 20° C., 10°C. to about 30° C., 10° C. to about 40° C., 10° C. to about 50° C., 10°C. to about 90° C., 20° C. to about 30° C., 20° C. to about 40° C., 20°C. to about 50° C., 20° C. to about 90° C., 30° C. to about 40° C., 30°C. to about 50° C., 30° C. to about 90° C., 40° C. to about 50° C., 40°C. to about 90° C., or 50° C. to about 90° C.

When installed within the panel, the PCM layer may passively stabilizeinterior temperature without using additional mechanical or electricalelements. For instances, the PCM layer may absorb heat when thetemperature exceeds a desired targeted temperature and release heat whenthe temperature falls below the same or another targeted temperature. APCM may be designed and incorporated into an ESP to passively limit thetemperature change within the interior of a building or structure. Aninterior temperature differential may represent the interior temperaturechange between peak heating and peak cooling over the course of a daywithin a particular interior room in the building or structure. Apassive interior temperature differential may represent the interiortemperature change between the minimum temperature and maximumtemperature over the course of a 24 hour period within a particularinterior room or space in the building or structure when no heating,ventilation, or air conditioning is utilized. A PCM may be designed topassively limit the interior temperature differential to about 1° C., 2°C., 3° C., 4° C., 5° C., 6° C., 7° C., 8° C., 9° C., 10° C., 11° C., 12°C., 13° C., 14° C., 15° C., 16° C., 17° C., 18° C., 19° C., or about 20°C. between peaking cooling and peak heating. A PCM may be designed topassively limit the interior temperature differential to about 1° C., 2°C., 3° C., 4° C., 5° C., 6° C., 7° C., 8° C., 9° C., 10° C., 11° C., 12°C., 13° C., 14° C., 15° C., 16° C., 17° C., 18° C., 19° C., or about 20°C. between peak heating and peak cooling. A PCM may limit the interiortemperature differential between peak heating and peak cooling in arange from about 1° C. to about 2° C., about 1° C. to about 5° C., about1° C. to about 10° C., about 1° C. to about 15° C., about 1° C. to about20° C., about 2° C. to about 5° C., about 2° C. to about 10° C., about2° C. to about 15° C., about 2° C. to about 20° C., about 5° C. to about10° C., about 5° C. to about 15° C., about 5° C. to about 20° C., about10° C. to about 15° C., about 10° C. to about 20° C., or about 15° C. toabout 20° C.

Insulation

In some cases, the ESP may include an insulation layer or filling 107 asshown in FIGS. 2, 9A-9C, and 20. In some cases, the insulation layer mayinclude foam, for example, all-purpose foam that can be extrudedpolystyrene. For example, the insulation layer may include XPSInsulation FOAMULAR 150. The insulation layer may include rigid ornon-flexible foam. The insulation layer may be configured to providestiffness to the ESP and additional insulation of R-10 value. R-valuecan be a measurement of thermal resistance and measures the ability ofheat to transfer from one side of an object to another. As a benchmark,one inch of solid wood has an R-value of R-1. Additionally, theinsulation may help to secure the PCM material layer 106 against thesolar thermal panel layer 105, especially when the PCM transforms into afluid state.

Insulation may be chosen from any suitable insulating material.Insulating materials may include foams, wools, resins, sheets, paneling,batting, loose-fills, and glasses. Insulating materials may includevacuum-insulated paneling, silica aerogels, polyurethane rigid paneling,foil-faced polyurethane paneling, polyisocyanurate rigid paneling,polyisocyanurate spray foam, polyurethane spray foam, phenolic sprayfoam, polystyrene paneling, fiberglass batting, cardboard, celluloseloose-fil, polyethylene foam, perlite loose fill, vermiculite, andrefractory materials.

In some cases, the insulation layer 107 in the ESP is not intended orconfigured to be used as Structural Insulated Panel (SIP). Theinsulation layer 107 may be configured primarily for supporting and/orenclosing the components within the ESP.

In some cases, the insulation layer may help retard the transmission ofwater vapor and moisture through the ESP. The insulation layer may helpprevent structural damages to the ESP, and also the wall and/ceilings inproximity to the ESP.

Shielding

In some cases, the ESP may include a shielding layer 108 as shown inFIGS. 2, 10A-10C, and 21. In some cases, the shielding layer may beadjacent to the oriented strand board (OSB) layer 109. The shieldinglayer can be used for shielding electromagnetic waves (e.g. radiofrequency waves), electromagnetic field(s), magnetic field(s),electrical field(s), or other types of radiative energy. Theelectromagnetic waves or other radiative energy may be of variousfrequencies. Such shielding layer may be grounded. In some cases, theshielding fabric may provide shielding from radiative sources includingbut not limited to cell towers, cordless phones, high voltage lines,security systems, wireless routers, etc. Such sources may be external tothe building, internal to the building but external to one or morespecific rooms. As an example, the shielding effectiveness of the layermay be of 99.99% of 40 dB at 1000 MHz. In some cases, a shielding layermay be used for shielding noise or vibration. Noise or vibration sourcesmay be external to the building or structure, or internal to thebuilding or structure but external to one or more specific rooms.

A shielding layer may have a characteristic radiation attenuation. Ashielding layer may attenuate about 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%,99.9%, 99.99%, or about 99.999% of transmitting radiation. A shieldinglayer may attenuate at least about 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%,99.9%, 99.99%, or about 99.999% of transmitting radiation. A shieldinglayer may have its characteristic radiation attenuation rated against aparticular intensity level (e.g. W, W/m², or Pa). The intensity level atwhich an attenuation level is achieved may be expressed as a decibellevel. A shielding layer may achieve a characteristic level ofattenuation at about 1 decibel (dB), 5 dB, 10 dB, 20 dB, 30 dB, 40 dB,50 dB, 60 dB, 70 dB, 80 dB, 90 dB, 100 dB, 120 dB, 150 dB, or about 200dB or greater. A shielding layer may achieve a characteristic level ofattenuation at least about 1 decibel (dB), 5 dB, 10 dB, 20 dB, 30 dB, 40dB, 50 dB, 60 dB, 70 dB, 80 dB, 90 dB, 100 dB, 120 dB, 150 dB, or about200 dB or greater. A shielding layer may achieve a characteristicattenuation level in an intensity range from about 1 dB to about 10 dB,about 1 dB to about 20 dB, about 1 dB to about 40 dB, about 1 dB toabout 60 dB, about 1 dB to about 80 dB, about 1 dB to about 100 dB,about 1 dB to about 200 dB, about 10 dB to about 20 dB, about 10 dB toabout 40 dB, about 10 dB to about 60 dB, about 10 dB to about 80 dB,about 10 dB to about 100 dB, about 10 dB to about 200 dB, about 20 dB toabout 40 dB, about 20 dB to about 60 dB, about 20 dB to about 80 dB,about 20 dB to about 100 dB, about 20 dB to about 200 dB, about 40 dB toabout 60 dB, about 40 dB to about 80 dB, about 40 dB to about 100 dB,about 40 dB to about 200 dB, about 60 dB to about 80 dB, about 60 dB toabout 100 dB, about 60 dB to about 200 dB, about 80 dB to about 100 dB,about 80 dB to about 200 dB, or about 100 dB to about 200 dB. Ashielding layer may be tuned to absorb radiation at a particularfrequency or in a particular frequency band. A shielding layer mayprotect against radiation in the radio, microwave, infrared, visible,ultraviolet, x-ray, or gamma bands. A shielding layer may containmultiple materials or structures to protect against more than one bandof radiation. A shielding layer may have a characteristic absorptionfrequency of about 10² Hertz (Hz), 10⁴ Hz, 10⁶ Hz, 10⁸ Hz, 10¹⁰ Hz, 10¹²Hz, 10¹⁴ Hz, 10¹⁶ Hz, 10¹⁸ Hz, 10²⁰ Hz, 10²² Hz, or about 10²⁴ Hz. Ashielding layer may have a characteristic absorption frequency of atleast about 10² Hertz (Hz), 10⁴ Hz, 10⁶ Hz, 10⁸ Hz, 10¹⁰ Hz, 10¹² Hz,10¹⁴ Hz, 10¹⁶ Hz, 10¹⁸ Hz, 10²⁰ Hz, 10²² Hz, or about 10²⁴ Hz. Ashielding layer may have a characteristic absorption frequency of nogreater than about 10²⁴ Hz, 10²² Hz, 10²⁰ Hz, 10¹⁸ Hz, 10¹⁶ Hz, 10¹⁴ Hz,10¹² Hz, 10¹⁰ Hz, 10⁸ Hz, 10⁶ Hz, 10⁴ Hz, or about 10² Hz. A shieldinglayer may have an absorption band in a range from about 10² Hz to about10⁴ Hz, about 10² Hz to about 10⁸ Hz, about 10² Hz to about 10¹² Hz,about 10² Hz to about 10¹⁶ Hz, about 10² Hz to about 10²⁰ Hz, about 10²Hz to about 10²⁴ Hz, about 10⁴ Hz to about 10⁸ Hz, about 10⁴ Hz to about10¹² Hz, about 10⁴ Hz to about 10¹⁶ Hz, about 10⁴ Hz to about 10²⁰ Hz,about 10⁴ Hz to about 10²⁴ Hz, about 10⁸ Hz to about 10¹² Hz, about 10⁸Hz to about 10¹⁶ Hz, about 10⁸ Hz to about 10²⁰ Hz, about 10⁸ Hz toabout 10²⁴ Hz, about 10¹² Hz to about 10¹⁶ Hz, about 10¹² Hz to about10²⁰ Hz, about 10¹² Hz to about 10²⁴ Hz, about 10¹⁶ Hz to about 10²⁰ Hz,about 10¹⁶ Hz to about 10²⁴ Hz, or about 10²⁰ Hz to about 10²⁴ Hz. Insome cases, the shielding layer may include fabric as shown in FIGS.8A-8C, for example, with a weave pattern. In some cases, the shieldlayer may include one or more types of metal, such as copper or nickel,or metal alloy. In some cases, the shielding layer may include permalloyand mu-metal, or with nanocrystalline grain structure ferromagneticmetal coatings.

As shown in FIGS. 10A-10C, the shielding layer may occupy at least partof the surface area of the ESP. In some cases, the total surface area ofthe shielding layer may occupy an area that is less than or equal to thesurface area of the ESP along the x-y plane. In some cases, theshielding layer may include a thickness along the z axis in the range ofabout 0.01 inches to about 2 inches.

Oriented Strand Board

In some cases, the ESP may include a layer of oriented strand board(OSB) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 11. The OSB layer may include engineeredwood panel(s) or plywood panel(s). In some cases, the OSB layer includesrecycled wood that is compressed under pressure and bond together, forexample by using adhesive.

The OSB layer can be configured to provide structural strength to theESP.

As shown in FIGS. 11A-11C, the OSB layer may occupy at least part of thesurface area of the ESP. In some cases, the total surface area of theOSB layer may occupy an area that is less than or equal to the surfacearea of the ESP along the x-y plane. In some cases, the OSB layer mayinclude a thickness along the z axis in the range of about 0.1 cm toabout 50 cm.

Barrier

In some cases, the ESP may include a barrier layer 110 as shown in FIGS.2, 12A-12C, and 22. In some cases, the barrier layer 110 may be adjacentto the OSB layer as shown in FIG. 2. The barrier layer may beself-adhesive so that it can be attached to the OSB layer. The barrierlayer may be an air and vapor barrier membrane that is impermeable toair, moisture, liquid water, water vapor, or other gaseous or liquidfluids. The barrier layer may be impermeable uni-directionally orbi-directionally. In some cases, the barrier layer may includerubberized asphalt compound optionally laminated on polyethylene film.

A moisture or vapor barrier may be defined by a water flux or permeance.A barrier layer may have a water permeance of about 1 nanogram perPascal per second per square meter (ng/(Pa*s*m²)), 5 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 10ng/(Pa*s*m²), 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 100 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 200ng/(Pa*s*m²), 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), or about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²). A barrierlayer may have a water permeance of at least about 1 nanogram per Pascalper second per square meter (ng/(Pa*s*m²)), 5 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 10ng/(Pa*s*m²), 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 100 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 200ng/(Pa*s*m²), 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), or about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²). A barrierlayer may have a water permeance of no greater than about 300ng/(Pa*s*m²), 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 200 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 100ng/(Pa*s*m²), 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 10 ng/(Pa*s*m²), 5 ng/(Pa*s*m²), or about1 ng/(Pa*s*m²). A barrier material may have a water permeance in a rangefrom about 1 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 10 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 1 ng/(Pa*s*m²)to about 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 1 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 100ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 1 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 1ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 200 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 1 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 1 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about10 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 10 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about100 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 10 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about10 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 200 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 10 ng/(Pa*s*m²) toabout 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 10 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²),about 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 100 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²)to about 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 200ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 50 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 50ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 100 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about150 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 100 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 200 ng/(Pa*s*m²),about 100 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 100 ng/(Pa*s*m²)to about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 200ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 150 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about150 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 200 ng/(Pa*s*m²) toabout 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²), about 200 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 300ng/(Pa*s*m²), or about 250 ng/(Pa*s*m²) to about 300 ng/(Pa*s*m²).

In some cases, the barrier layer may allow the ESP panel to be airsealing and/or vapor sealing.

Other Materials

An ESP may contain any other material necessary to complete itsconstruction and assembly. Other materials may be incorporated into anESP for any purpose, including joining ESP components, joining multipleESPs together, sealing gaps, waterproofing, windproofing, insulating,reducing weight, increasing weight, increasing weight, increasingstrength, increasing rigidity, increasing flexibility, decreasingflexibility, or providing any other necessary property or utility to anESP.

An ESP may include one or more types of fastening elements. Fasteningelements may include screws, bolts, nails, rivets, and staples. Screwsmay include flathead, finish, round, oval, washer, or pan screws. Screwsmay be slotted, Phillips, square, hex, or star drives. Screws may betapered or have straight roots. Screws may be include drywall, wood,metal, or plastic screws. A screw may be made of any material, includinggalvanized steel, stainless steel, and plastic. A screw may be recessed,flush, or extended above the surface of a panel. Nails may includecommon nails, finishing nails, box nails, roofing nails, masonry nails,double-headed nails, drywall nails, annular ring shank nails, casingnails, brad nails, glazing sprigs, cap nails, upholstery nails, carpetnails, or corrugated nails. Nails may be driven manually orpneumatically. An ESP may include plates, brackets, shims, or otherpieces that secure or position pieces together. Joining elements may bemetal, plastic, or wood.

An ESP may include other materials such as glues, adhesives, resins,epoxies, fills, fibers, caulks, sealants, paints, primers, stains,anti-microbial compounds, antifungal compounds, fire retardants,flashing, weatherstrippingsgrouts, cements, veneers, spackles, andputties. Such materials may be incorporated on internal or externalportions of an ESP. An ESP may include aesthetic materials onnon-functional surfaces. In some cases, an exterior surface may includepaints, sidings, or other finishing materials such as stucco. In othercases, an interior surface may include paints, wall papering, casing,paneling, or texturing materials.

Sensors

In some cases, the ESP may be a self-sufficient integrated panel withmultiple layers of materials integrated with specific order(s) thatresult in a highly efficient energy saving panel. In some embodiments,the ESP may include one or more sensors 111 connected to a controlsystem or the Internet-of-Things (IOT). The ESP may be an IOT node thatcan be connected to the IOT and/or controlled and regulated by thecontroller(s) connected to the IOT. In some cases, one or more sensorsmay be integrated in or on one or more layers of the ESP. In some cases,one or more sensors may be integrated in between two adjacent layers ofthe ESP.

The ESP may include one or more sensors at one or more layers. Anexemplary position of a sensor is shown in FIG. 2. The sensor(s) mayalso locate at the exterior side or any other layer of the ESP along thez-axis. Additionally, the sensor(s) may locate at any position at theentire surface area within the x-y plane. In some cases, the spatialdistribution of the sensor(s) may enable accurate and convenientdetection of heating or cooling status within the interior of abuilding, or more specifically, within one or more rooms of a building.For example, traditional heating with water, oil, or air may overheatcertain areas of the building while leaving some other areas of thebuilding cold, thus wasting energy during heating or cooling. Sensorsmay be placed in specific positions close to the hot and cold spotswithin the building so as to accurately monitor temperature informationof local regions. This may facilitate heating and cooling usingdifferent areas of the ESP based on local temperature information ofregions. In some cases, the location of one or more sensors mayfacilitate sensing of environmental characteristics/data in itsvicinity, thus facilitating the generation of sensor data. Suchenvironmental characteristics may include the level of parameters suchas smoke, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, radioactivity, humidity,chemical, PM 2.5, etc. In some cases, the sensor data may comprise oneor more of temperature, pressure, air flow, amount of ambient light inthe vicinity of the sensor, amplitude and frequency variations of soundvibrations in the vicinity of the sensor, electromagnetic fieldvariations, and other environmental parameters sensed by the sensor.

As used herein, “sensor data” refers to information obtained or providedby one or more sensors. In some cases, a sensor and/or sensor devicecomprises an acoustic sensor, a hygrometer, a carbon dioxide sensor, acarbon monoxide sensor, an infrared sensor, an oxygen sensor, an ozonemonitor, a pH sensor, a smoke detector, a current sensor (e.g. detectselectric current in a wire), a magnetometer, a metal detector, a radiodirection finder, a voltage detector, an air flow meter, an anemometer,a flow sensor, a gas meter, a water meter, a Geiger counter, analtimeter, an air speed indicator, a depth gauge, a gyroscope, acompass, an odometer, a shock detector (e.g. on a football helmet tomeasure impact), a barometer, a pressure gauge, a thermometer, aproximity sensor, a motion detector (e.g. in a home security system), anoccupancy sensor, or any combination thereof, and in some embodiments,sensor data comprises information obtained from any of the precedingsensors.

Sensors may be connected to each other or remote controllers viatelecommunication systems. Telecommunications may be performed via wiredor wireless connections.

Telecommunications wiring may pass through void spaces 123 in an ESP.Passages for sensors or telecommunication wiring may be made in atransverse fashion to the void spaces. In some cases, one or moresensors are physically separate from a user device or controller thatcontrols or monitors the ESP. In some cases, the one or more sensorsauthorize the user device to obtain sensor data. In some cases, the oneor more sensors provide or send sensor data to the user deviceautonomously.

In some cases, one or more sensors herein include a sensing component,microcontroller (MCU), microprocessor (MPU), an electrical circuit, asoftware module, an application, and/or the like that monitorsfunctionalities, controls functionalities, and/or tracks location andstatus of the sensor(s) and/or ESP. In some embodiments, the sensingcomponent, MCU, MPU, an electrical circuit, a software module, anapplication, and/or the like are embedded in the sensors, or ESP. Insome embodiments, data are generated from the sensing component sensingfactors external to the sensors, or ESP. As an example, humidity dataare generated from a humidity sensor indicating the humidity level inthe interior of the building that is not in the ESP but within thespatial sensing radius of the sensor.

In some cases, the user device or controller that controls or monitorsthe sensor and/or ESP includes a digital processing device, a processor,a software module, a computer program, an application, or the like.

Integration and Assembly

An ESP may be assembled in many different configurations depending uponthe desired performance characteristics of the panel. For example, anESP for external portions of a building or structure may have adifferent order and manner of assembly than an ESP intended for internalwalls. The ESP disclosed herein may include various combinations ofdifferent layers to achieve the highest R-Value, e.g., R-30, R-45, orR-49 for the insulation and reduce the energy consumption and associatedcost.

In some cases, an ESP may be fabricated in place during the constructionof a building or structure. Steps involved in fabrication may includeframing in the wall, installing structural wall components (e.g.concrete sections), installing non-structural wall components (e.g.electrical wiring, sensors, and plumbing), securing layered materials(e.g. drywall) to the framing, installing solar thermal panels,establishing connectivity between solar thermal panels and HVAC systemsor sensor systems, filling void spaces with insulating materials (e.g.rigid polystyrene foam), sealing or finishing panel sections, andconnecting or otherwise securing neighboring ESPs to each other to formlarger structures.

FIGS. 16-23 depict a particular embodiment of an ESP and highlight amethod of assembling a modular ESP. As shown in FIG. 16, a modular ESPmay be assembled from an initial structure 115. The structure 115 maycomprise wood studs, concrete, or any other material that provides theoverall shape to the ESP. A face of the structure 115 may have a metalfoil layer 102 attached to it by any means of attachment. As shown inFIG. 17, a drywall panel 101 may be connected to the face by a means ofattachment after placement of the metal foil layer 102. After thedrywall is placed, a solar thermal panel 105 may be installed in a voidspace 123, as shown in FIG. 18. As shown in FIG. 19, a phase changematerial 106 may be installed behind the solar thermal panel. The phasechange material 106 may contact the solar thermal panel 105 or have agap that separates it. As shown in FIG. 20, a layer of insulation 107may be installed in the void space behind the phase change material. Theinsulation 107 may occupy some or all of the void space 123. As shown inFIG. 21, a layer of shielding 108 (e.g. electromagnetic shielding) maybe installed behind an insulation layer 107. The shielding may notdirectly contact the insulation layer or other layers. The layering ofan ESP may be finalized by installing a barrier material 110 (e.g. awater vapor barrier) in the void space 123 as shown in FIG. 22. Thevapor barrier 110 may form a water-tight or air-tight seal within thevoid space 123. As shown in FIG. 23, an ESP may be finalized byinstalling plumbing components 121 or electrical components 122 in thevoid space 123.

In some cases, ESPs may be partially or completely fabricated in afactory or other assembly site. ESPs may be transported to a buildingsite where they are assembled into a final structure or building. ESPsmay be capable of transport or various means of transportation,including flatbed trailers, pickup trucks, trains, cargo containers, seavessels, and aircraft. ESPs may be designed to fit together in a modularfashion. Many pre-fabricated ESPs may be assembled into a structure orbuilding. Modular, pre-fabricated ESPs may utilize flat, vertical ESPsto create walls and specialized connecting ESPs to create corners whenconstructing rooms. FIG. 1 shows a top-down cross-sectional view of ahypothetical room incorporating multiple styles of connecting ESPs.Connecting ESPs might include tee sections 170, L-corners, or angledcorners 150.

The use of pre-fabricated ESPs may speed the construction of a buildingor structure. A building or structure assembled from pre-fabricated ESPsmay be assembled in 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days, 7days, 10 days, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4months, 5 months, or 6 months. A building or structure configured fromESPs may be assembled in no greater than 6 months, 5 months, 4 months, 3months, 2 months, 1 month, 4 weeks, 3 weeks, 2 weeks, 10 days, 7 days, 6days, 5 days, 4 days, 3 days, 2 days, or 1 day. The construction time ofa building or structure assembled with ESPs may be reduced by up to 10%,20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%.

In some cases, the metal foil may be attached to the drywall layer, thestud frame, the solar thermal panel, or a combination thereof. In somecases, the stud frame may be fixed to the drywall layer, the metal foil,or both. In some embodiments, the one or more solar thermal panels maybe at least partially attached to one or more of the stud frame, themetal foil layer, or both. In some embodiments, the one or moreenclosures may be at least partially attached to the one or more solarthermal panels, the stud frame, or both. In some cases, the foam layermay be at least partially attached to the one or more enclosures, thestud frame, or both.

In some cases, the adjacent layers of the ESP may be attached to eachother to improve the strength and structural integrity of the ESP. Insome cases, a layer of the ESP may be attached to one, two, three, ormore layers that the layer is adjacent to.

In some cases, the attachment herein may use screws, adhesive, or anyother mechanical/chemical fastening elements and/or methods.

In some cases, an existing building or structure may be renovated toinclude one or more ESPs. A renovated building or structure thatincludes ESPs may have an improved energy efficiency or other improvedcharacteristics compared to the unrenovated building or structure. Inother cases, a building or structure may be expanded to includeadditional space that comprises one or more ESPs. An expanded buildingor structure with one or more ESPs may have an improved energyefficiency or other improved characteristics compared to the unexpandedbuilding or structure.

Although certain embodiments and examples are provided in the foregoingdescription, the inventive subject matter extends beyond thespecifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodimentsand/or uses, and to modifications and equivalents thereof. Thus, thescope of the claims appended hereto is not limited by any of theparticular embodiments described below. For example, in any method orprocess disclosed herein, the acts or operations of the method orprocess may be performed in any suitable sequence and are notnecessarily limited to any particular disclosed sequence. Variousoperations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, ina manner that may be helpful in understanding certain embodiments;however, the order of description should not be construed to imply thatthese operations are order dependent. Additionally, the structures,systems, and/or devices described herein may be embodied as integratedcomponents or as separate components.

For purposes of comparing various embodiments, certain aspects andadvantages of these embodiments are described. Not necessarily all suchaspects or advantages are achieved by any particular embodiment. Thus,for example, various embodiments may be carried out in a manner thatachieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taughtherein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as mayalso be taught or suggested herein.

As used herein A and/or B encompasses one or more of A or B, andcombinations thereof such as A and B. It will be understood thatalthough the terms “first,” “second,” “third” etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions and/or sections, theseelements, components, regions and/or sections should not be limited bythese terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element,component, region or section from another element, component, region orsection. Thus, a first element, component, region or section discussedbelow could be termed a second element, component, region or sectionwithout departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including,” when used in thisspecification, specify the presence of stated features, regions,integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do notpreclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groupsthereof.

Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or“top” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to otherelements as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood thatrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of theelements in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. Forexample, if the element in one of the figures is turned over, elementsdescribed as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then beoriented on the “upper” side of the other elements. The exemplary term“lower” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of “lower” and“upper,” depending upon the particular orientation of the figure.Similarly, if the element in one of the figures were turned over,elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then beoriented “above” the other elements. The exemplary terms “below” or“beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above andbelow.

For coordinate systems shown herein, “o” may indicate that thecorresponding axis points into the paper, while “.” may indicate thatthe axis points out of the paper.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described herein, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments areprovided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, andsubstitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the disclosure. It should be understood thatvarious alternatives to the embodiments described herein may be employedin practice. Numerous different combinations of embodiments describedherein are possible, and such combinations are considered part of thepresent disclosure. In addition, all features discussed in connectionwith any one embodiment herein can be readily adapted for use in otherembodiments herein. It is intended that the following claims define thescope of the disclosure and that methods and structures within the scopeof these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.

1. (canceled)
 2. A method of constructing a modular fabricated panel,the method comprising: (a) providing: (i) a solar thermal panel; (ii) aphase change material; and (iii) and a structural material; (b) couplingthe solar thermal panel to the structural material; and (c) coupling thephase change material to the solar thermal panel, to construct themodular fabricated panel.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein thestructural material comprises at least one void space.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein the method further comprises, in (b), inserting thesolar thermal panel into at least one void space.
 5. The method of claim3, wherein the method further comprises, in (c), inserting the phasechange material into the at least one void space.
 6. The method of claim2, wherein the method further comprises providing a metal foil layer, toconstruct the modular fabricated panel.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the method further comprises coupling the metal foil layer tothe solar thermal panel.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the methodfurther comprises coupling the metal foil layer to the structuralmaterial.
 9. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprisesproviding one or more members selected from the group consisting ofinsulating material, vapor barrier material, oriented strand board, andelectromagnetic shielding material, to construct the modular fabricatedpanel.
 10. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprisesproviding a sensor capable of collecting environmental data, toconstruct the modular fabricated panel.
 11. The method of claim 10,wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, anair flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbondioxide sensor, an acoustic sensor, or a vibration sensor.
 12. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the structural material comprises one or morestuds of a nominal size selected from the group consisting of 1×2, 1×3,1×4, 1×6, 1×8, 1×10, 1×12, 2×2, 2×3, 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, 2×10, 2×12, 4×4,4×6, and 4×8.
 13. The method of claim 2, wherein (b) comprises couplingthe solar thermal panel to a first side of the modular fabricated panel,and wherein the method further comprises coupling an additional solarthermal panel to a second side of the modular fabricated panel, whereinthe second side is substantially opposite from the first side.
 14. Themethod of claim 2, wherein, in (b), the solar thermal panel is coupledto the structural material by one or more intermediate layers.
 15. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the modular fabricated panel is constructedsuch that the modular fabricated panel comprises a void space.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the void space is for receiving a plumbingcomponent, an electrical component, or a telecommunications component.17. The method of claim 15, wherein the void space is for receiving aninsulating material, a shielding material, or a barrier material. 18.The method of claim 2, further incorporating the modular fabricatedpanel to a structure, to reduce energy consumption of the structure. 19.The method of claim 18, wherein the modular fabricated panel forms anexterior wall of the structure, an interior wall of the structure, or aceiling of the structure.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein theincorporation of the modular fabricated panel into the structure reducesa total energy consumption of the structure by at least about 10% ascompared to another structure that is built without using the modularfabricated panel.
 21. The method of claim 2, wherein the modularfabricated panel has an insulating R-value of at least about R-10.